Looking for some suggestions on a travel bag for my surfboards. Im heading overseas in Oct and looking to travel with two surfboards. I've never used a double bag and just wanting to ask a few questions and looking for any tips.

Im thinking of taking a 6'2" and a 6'4" so what size board cover do i need? Do i need to cover them inside with anything else? Like bubble wrap or a thin cover?

Last point is there seems to be a few triple bags floating around second hand, would they be simply to big, and stupid or would it be okay, IE can the be collapsed

Thanks..

You can borrow mine if you like, its a 6,7.

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DARTH said..

You can borrow mine if you like, its a 6,7.

Nice one.

I bought a double board bag 6'8" (I think) carried a 6'6" and 6'0". I tried using those pool noddles cut in half on the rails, but took up too much room.

So now I just use towels, wetties, clothes and a surfboard sock. Basically I've ditch the back pack and just use the board bag instead, it weighes in at 11 to 15 kilos all up. Anything else I need goes in the misus's bag.

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photosbykarlo said..

I bought a double board bag 6'8" (I think) carried a 6'6" and 6'0". I tried using those pool noddles cut in half on the rails, but took up too much room.

So now I just use towels, wetties, clothes and a surfboard sock. Basically I've ditch the back pack and just use the board bag instead, it weighes in at 11 to 15 kilos all up. Anything else I need goes in the misus's bag.

Last time I went os I used board socks, worked a treat no dammage

I use double bubble wrap on the bottom of the board & make cardboard protectors for the nose & tail with a couple of sheets over the overlapping bubble wrap. Inside a travel board bag.

Definitely use bubble wrap inside a board bag... and the cardboard along the nose and rails.... pool noodle sounds genius, might try that one when the lotto investment means I can go exploring again..
With the board bags, I use silicone spray (at boating shops) to keep the zip in good nick..... nothing more frustrating than the gnnnn ermf, trying to get the board out after you've traveled for 24 hours and arrive to great when the surf! The bag has got to last for the trip home!

edit.. you've traveled for 24 hours and arrive to great surf

Definitely use the bubble wrap JB. You can't be too carefully. I'd steer clear of triple covers for two boards as your boards won't be that we'll packed= more chance of damage. Check out Crustt's covers. IMO he makes the best covers around and reasonably priced.
If I'm going to Indo I pack the nose and tail with top quality sorbent poo tickets. Although I've never needed it you will appreciate it if you pick up the dreaded stomach bug

I use a 7'2 coffin and pack all my clothes around the board...I never worry about bubble wrap etc. and never had any damage.....also means I only have to check 1 bag in

Thanks guys, we have a winner thanks Darth.. I'm on a budget these days thanks to a hefty tax bill and having put the wife on a no spend so cheap is very nice..Especially as i think i won't really use it again straight up.

Im not traveling till later and wanted to get things tied up early. Boards will be shunted of and onto a couple of planes so will defiantly pack them well.

Now to just work out what boards to take

I use cheap pipe insulation lightly kept on with that thin wrapping plastic, then my wetties, and towel and some clothes further wrapped in.
Bullet proof.. No excess weight. Well, 50 grams or so, but no unnecessary bulk. Take more thin wrapping stuff for the return leg.

Two of my mates recently have had bad board damage from flying .. I'm heading off in two weeks and considering taking older boards . Seems a shame though .. I'm going with the insulation on rails . Bubble rap . Sock and old board bag . Two boards .together Inside a bigger . 6 7 . FCS bag ... then rapping completely in plastic so I don't get life in a Bali prison . .

Does anyone know if Bali customs still does the more than three boards sports/tout tax thing
Heading up North and thinking about taking four boards

JB also take a roll of silver duct tape!

It's perfect for quick repairs to minor dings to both surfboards and flesh, you can use it to repair splits in your bag or as a temporary fix should your zipper seize/break and most importantly you can use it to silence and subdue unruly travel companions...

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TimKay said...
Does anyone know if Bali customs still does the more than three boards sports/tout tax thing
Heading up North and thinking about taking four boards

Last year they opened my bag to count boards, he was extremely disappointed to only find three. They still sting you if you take over three

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Razzonater said...

TimKay said...
Does anyone know if Bali customs still does the more than three boards sports/tout tax thing
Heading up North and thinking about taking four boards

Last year they opened my bag to count boards, he was extremely disappointed to only find three. They still sting you if you take over three

Any idea what the charge is for 4? I'm thinking about taking 4 to Telos and am going to Bali first

SQUID make good bags/legropes etc

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LUCKY MAC said..

SQUID make good bags/legropes etc

Yeah i have a Squid bag and love it. But i have not travelled with multiple boards before and needed some idea. Its all been very helpful thanks..

Read this and it is what you've been saying..

www.theinertia.com/surf/how-to-pack-a-surfboard-in-6-steps/

But then found this product after looking a bit more. Has anyone seen it around anywhere? Or tried it

www.firewiresurfboards.com/BAST-eco-packaging.php

Okay another questions for the travellers. All of my flights bar one from Sydney home to Perth say the maximum length surfboard bag is 1.9 mtrs. The bag will actually end up being well under weight 23kilos, but it will be 2 mtr long. I have booked it all through Qantas and they say 2.77 mt but this flight is actually by Jetstar and on a A320 they say only 1.9mt. Does anyone know if they give a bit or are they totally strict

Im guessing after flying eleven hours from Hawaii to then get straight on a plane to Perth, my wife will not be happy if I'm having issues at check in with my surfboards SO just wanting to check. After wasting time talking to machines on the phone, I'm no closer to an answer

Good luck with Jetstar mate,they will be hard nosed about your boards.

Depends entirely on the check-in staff.

Best bet is to get them checked straight through to your final destination if you can then you will generally get the rules as applied to where you get on.

If you run the gauntlet, try to get to the counter early and smile and be polite. If you lose your temper you'll be stonewalled.

Last time we travelled there was a rather large party and I often travel with Dangerous Goods. Had all the paperwork and about 160kg of luggage. It took a good half hour or so to check in but was done with no hassles because we complied with everything.

Phone calls are a waste of time when you come to check in. Something in writing will also be marginal if it contravenes their regulations but I highly doubt they are going to provide you with that anyway. Everyone wants concessions and those days are long gone. (Exorbitant) Excess baggage is a big money spinner for airlines I hear.

JB as Legion said check all bags all the way,if your board bag won't fit it will arrive later,just means another trip to the airport for collection hope your not too far from it tho

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Legion said...
Depends entirely on the check-in staff.

Best bet is to get them checked straight through to your final destination if you can then you will generally get the rules as applied to where you get on.

If you run the gauntlet, try to get to the counter early and smile and be polite. If you lose your temper you'll be stonewalled.

Last time we travelled there was a rather large party and I often travel with Dangerous Goods. Had all the paperwork and about 160kg of luggage. It took a good half hour or so to check in but was done with no hassles because we complied with everything.

Phone calls are a waste of time when you come to check in. Something in writing will also be marginal if it contravenes their regulations but I highly doubt they are going to provide you with that anyway. Everyone wants concessions and those days are long gone. (Exorbitant) Excess baggage is a big money spinner for airlines I hear.

Yeah I'm more looking at how it works in reality. If i check all my travel doc's they say 2.77m but when i look on the Jetstar site it says 1.9 .

It says nothing about extra charges for length. Only weight do you have any idea on what type of charge they will hit me with But yeah to check it in all the way home i don't think will work as its a different plane..

Also am i right in thinking if i book my boards as my one bag there is no charge

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jbshack said...

Legion said...
Depends entirely on the check-in staff.

Best bet is to get them checked straight through to your final destination if you can then you will generally get the rules as applied to where you get on.

If you run the gauntlet, try to get to the counter early and smile and be polite. If you lose your temper you'll be stonewalled.

Last time we travelled there was a rather large party and I often travel with Dangerous Goods. Had all the paperwork and about 160kg of luggage. It took a good half hour or so to check in but was done with no hassles because we complied with everything.

Phone calls are a waste of time when you come to check in. Something in writing will also be marginal if it contravenes their regulations but I highly doubt they are going to provide you with that anyway. Everyone wants concessions and those days are long gone. (Exorbitant) Excess baggage is a big money spinner for airlines I hear.

Yeah I'm more looking at how it works in reality. If i check all my travel doc's they say 2.77m but when i look on the Jetstar site it says 1.9 .

It says nothing about extra charges for length. Only weight do you have any idea on what type of charge they will hit me with But yeah to check it in all the way home i don't think will work as its a different plane..

Also am i right in thinking if i book my boards as my one bag there is no charge

Its a wonder that pweedas hasnt come in given you the run down JB, he seems to know everything else lol

Dimensional measurements will trump weight. Like the post office, they will take the larger value of the two. Charges will be on their website I would think, but a bigger problem (that I've read about) is some of their cargo containers aren't physically big enough so no matter how much you want to spend they won't take the boards. But as for weight, it's typically "a lot" that they slug you.

One bag, doesn't matter for things like boards. Dimensions will be the thing that they notice. Look at the sporting goods policy. Some airlines have concessions, allowances, etc.

Ideally check through, check through, check through.

Different planes no matter when it comes to checking through. We have travelled different planes, different airlines, different countries in one journey. You can almost always get it checked through to the final destination. The only hiccup I can foresee is if they make you go through customs in Sydney. It's been a while since I went through the east coast so I don't remember. They might make you get off, collect bags, go through customs and then check in for a domestic flight since when you arrive at Perth domestic there is no customs facility like the international version. Not sure, things might have changed.

Check in staff have a lot of power. Smile, be polite, beg. If they say they can't check through, say "please, is there anything you can do". If you get the right girl or guy, they have a lot of discretionary power it seems.

I intentionally choose airlines based on factors like this. No point paying $1000 and saving $500 if you can't even take what you want. E.g. with Dangerous Goods some airlines won't take me at all, and some countries. So they're off the decision list.

I haven't been to the States for many years, mainly because I don't want to deal with the TSA. Plenty of other awesome countries on the list, I'm not missing anything.

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Jetstar.com said...

Check the aircraft type before booking your flight to make sure your bulky item is within the size restriction.

If you’ve already booked and want to add baggage, find the aircraft type on your Jetstar itinerary.

Size restrictions:
Domestic and short-haul international A320 or A321 Aircraft – 1.9 meters

International long haul A330 Aircraft and 787** aircraft – 2.77 meters

Length restrictions include packaging. For journeys that contain multiple flights and aircraft types, the lesser limit applies.

You could try to argue that your complete journey (and it's generally considered one journey) you should have the 2.77m applied. But if they argue that you are flying on an A320 or A321 and your journey consists of a domestic leg, you're SOL. If you're on one of those planes it might not matter since they might be the sort of planes that physically can't fit anything bigger. Nothing you can do about that. Again, that's why a bargain price might not be the bargain it first seemed if you have unusual travel requirements. Unusual being anything apart from a Hawai'ian shirt, a camera, a pair of Okanuis and a lei.

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Legion said...

Jetstar.com said...

Check the aircraft type before booking your flight to make sure your bulky item is within the size restriction.

If you’ve already booked and want to add baggage, find the aircraft type on your Jetstar itinerary.

Size restrictions:
Domestic and short-haul international A320 or A321 Aircraft – 1.9 meters

International long haul A330 Aircraft and 787** aircraft – 2.77 meters

Length restrictions include packaging. For journeys that contain multiple flights and aircraft types, the lesser limit applies.

You could try to argue that your complete journey (and it's generally considered one journey) you should have the 2.77m applied. But if they argue that you are flying on an A320 or A321 and your journey consists of a domestic leg, you're SOL. If you're on one of those planes it might not matter since they might be the sort of planes that physically can't fit anything bigger. Nothing you can do about that. Again, that's why a bargain price might not be the bargain it first seemed if you have unusual travel requirements. Unusual being anything apart from a Hawai'ian shirt, a camera, a pair of Okanuis and a lei.

I actually used Frequent fliers for all the flights. SO yeah they were cheap The last leg from Sydney home to Perth is the only A320. I understand what your saying about luggage size's and it may just not fit, worst case would they just fly them on a different flight latter

I was going to buy boards in Hawaii but have decided to still take two with me also..6'4" and 6'2" So I'm just over but the bag is 6'7" i guess the ends would fold in a little..As i said I'm just trying to get some guide

I've travelled afar , sometimes carrying huge, 50kg coffins holding 4 boards and all my stuff for winter. Never paid a cent (touch wood) on them. Legion is spot on. If the plane's hold can physically fit the boards, a smile and flirt (whether they be guy or girl(oh, hang on..., did you say with family?)) will get you far.

JB I've been told that the length restrictions on Jetstar 320 /321's are due to the size of their luggage cages. Over 6'3 will not fit. Also met a group of 3 surfers in Bali a couple of years ago who had their boards knocked back due to the length